Signal for mailboxes



Feb. 2l, 1950 B. J. FABls 2,498,260

SIGNAL FOR MAILBCXESW Filed May 6, 1947 l INVENTOR. BRU/vo Fna/6,

l? TOR/VE Y6'.

Patented Feb. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNAL FOR MAILBOXES Eruno li. Fabis, Melrose Park, Ill.

Application May 6, 1947, Serial No. 746,177

3 Claims.

This invention relates to mail boxes and signals therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved signal device which is adapted to be mounted upon rural mail boxes without structural changes therein.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a tell-tale mail .box signal device which is con structed for mounting upon a mailbox in such manner as to be distinctlyvvis-ible to the owner of the box, the signal having a plurality of positions proved signal device apart from the mail box,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the signal device shown in Figure 2,. the lower end being sectioned to show its construction, and

Figure 4 is a sectional plan View taken on line 4 4 of Figure 2.

In order to understand clearly the nature of the invention, and the beast means for carrying it out, reference may now be had'to the drawings, in which like numerals denote similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown, there is a mail box generally indi cated at Ill, the box being of the type commonly employed in rural communities, and having a bottom I2 surmounted by side walls lll and an arched roof I6, the sides and roof being conveniently formed of a single piece of sheet metal. The mail box may be closed at its rearward end I8 by means of a rear wall, and has a front door 20 hinged at the bottom to the forward portions of the side walls by means of hinge pins or rivets 22, the flange 24 on the door being adapted to overlie the forward opening of the box when in upright or closed position as shown in the view.

The door 20 is held in closed position by mutual engagement of spring catch elements 26 and 28 which are secured respectively to the roof member and the door by means of rivets 30. The

Figure 2 is a face elevational view or" my im- 2. lower catch element 23- has a projecting arm 32, the outer end of which is bent down to form a handle 3B which may be grasped in opening and closing the door.

Some existing forms of mail box are occasionally provided with means whereby the box owner may inform the mail man that outgoing mail has been placed in the box and should vbe picked up by the mail man for forwarding through the post olTice. However, this is of no aid whatever in letting the box owner know whenever the mail man has placed mail in the box for the box owner, and hence the owner, unless he actually sees the mail man at the moment' he is engaged in depositing mail in thev box must necessarily make many futile trips to his box to determinel whether any mail has been delivered.

The present 'invention `discloses means for avoiding confusion andl unnecessary and tedious trips to the mail box when no mail has been delivered thereto.

For this purpose, I provide an elongated signal arm 3E, the upper end-3810i which is formed' in a distinctive outline-or design which is easily seen and distinguished from the background as the box owner looks toward the box. 'The endi 3S may, for example, .be -circular in shape, inorder to be quite visible against abackground of fields and trees.

A mounting bracket is shown at; lili, and is provided with a vmain body platel 42 supported by upstanding legs 44 and havingoutw'ardly extend'- ing feet 46 inthe form ofv rounded flanges as best seen in Figures 2and 4. `'The feet' All are` provided with apertures 48` to receive rivets or bolts 50 whereby-the bracket is mounted securely upon the face of the front doorzZil of' the mail' box, as shown in Figure' 1'.

The lower end 520i thesignalarm 36- has an aperture formed therein tol receive a bifurcated or split rivet 54 the shank of which also-extends through an aperture 5S formed in the main body plate 42 of the bracket. A spring 58 encircles lboth the bifurcations of the rivet 54', as best shown in Figures 3 and 4, the outer ends of the bifurcations being bent outwardly and back upon themselves about the outer coil of the spring, to hold the spring against the underside of the plate 42.

The plate 42 has two apertures or sockets 60 formed therein on each side of the aperture 56, to receive corresponding projections 62 formed in the underside of the signal arm 36. It will be seen that the arm 36 may be pivoted about the pin 54 from the solid line lower position shown in Figure 1, to the dotted line upper position shown in the same view, the spring 58 yielding to allow the arm depressions 62 to be turned out of engagement with the sockets 6U, and pulling them back into engagement when the upper position is reached, to hold the arm as desired.

When the signal arm 36 is in lower solid position, as shown in Figure 1, its outline is covered by the front door 20, so that no signal is given to the box owner. However, when the mail man has placed mail in the box, he then turnsthe signal arm 36 about its pivot in a clockwise direction, to the upraised dotted line position shown in Figure 1, at which a portion of the signal arm projects above the mail box, where it is easily visible to the box owner from some distance away, indicating positively to him that mail has been delivered to the box for him. The signal arm 3G is suiciently distinct from any other indicating devices with which such a box might be provided, as to cause no confusion therewith, and to serve the purpose intended.

Stop lugs B6 are provided on the bracket plate 42 to block further clockwise rotation of the arm 36 after reaching the upper position, and to block further counterclockwise rotation after reaching its lower position.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in specinc terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A signal device for installation upon rural type mail boxes, comprising a mounting bracket having depending legs with feet lying in a plane spaced from the plane of the main body plate of the bracket, and having apertures formed in said feet to receive fastening members to secure the same to the face of the door of a mail box, an elongated signal arm having an aperture formed in one end, said bracket having a central aperture formed in its main body plate, a split rivet having its shank extending through said central aperture in the body plate and through the end aperture formed in the signal arm, a spring encircling the bifurcated legs of the rivet and having one end lying against the inner surface of the bracket body plate, the outer ends of the rivet legs being bent outwardly back upon themselves about the outer coil of the spring to retain the same thereon and to hold the signal arm and bracket in yielding engagement, said signal arm having projections formed on each side of said end aperture, said bracket body plate having sockets formed to receive said projections. the outer end of the signal arm being shaped in curved fashion to provide a distinctive and easily visible outline against foliage and fields when in extended position, whereby, upon depositing mail in the box, the mail man may turn the signal arm from retracted position within the outline or" the box door, to extended position wherein its outer end projects beyond the said box door outline, being easily visible to the box owner from a distance.

2. A signal device for installation upon rural type mail boxes, comprising a mounting bracket having a main body plate, means for mounting said bracket on an outer surface of said box to provide a space therebetween, a signal arm including an upper and a lower end, a pivot pin extending through said plate and said lower end of said arm and pivotally mounting said arm on said plate outwardly thereof for pivotal movement in a plane parallel to said surface, said pin including a bifurcated portion extending into said space between said plate and said box surface, a coil spring concentrically disposed on said biiurcated portion with one end bearing against an inner surface oi said plate, and the free ends of said bifurcated portion being outwardly bent back upon themselves to confine the other end of said spring and maintain said arm in resilient engagement with said plate.

3. A signal device for installation upon rural type mail boxes, comprising a mounting bracket having a main body plate, means for mounting said bracket on an outer surface of said box to provide a space therebetween, a signal arm including an upper and a lower end, aligned apertures formed through said lower end of said arm and said plate, a rivet including a head and a bifurcated shank, said shank being extended through said apertures to pivotally mount said arm on said plate outwardly thereof, said shank extending into said space between said plate and said box surface, a coil spring concentrically disposed on said shank with one end bearing against an inner surface of said plate, and the free ends of said bifurcated shank being outwardly bent back upon themselves to confine the other end of said spring and maintain said arm in resilient engagement with said plate.

BRUNO J. FABIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 833,798 Patterson et al Oct. 23, 1906 875,841 Patterson et al Jan. 7, 1908 916,766 Norgord Mar. 30, 1909 1,213,792 Benner Jan. 23, 1917 1,498,565 Murray et a1. June 24, 1924 1,521,397 Scott Dec. 30, 1924 2,025,251 Steinbronn Dec. 24, 1935 2,177,987 Darvie Oct. 31, 1939 

